given the cricket mania in the subcontinent right now, it's good to see that the ICC is using this world cup and its star cricket players to spread the message of combating AIDS and the stigma attached to it in the subcontinent.

During 2002 National games, AP Govt has made condoms available for free at almost every mile post within Vizag and Hyderabad (besides other cities). There were statistics always stating that North coastal Andhra to be having most HIV cases and that map is sure alarming.

The sex-trafficing is nothing compared to what it is in other parts of India, but why is the HIV is so much more prevalent in this area?

Prasad, I don't know, but this table shows that only 0.5% of couples in Andhra use condoms as opposed to 23% in Delhi.

The article also says that there is a lot of sex work on the coast.

I'm sorry to hijack, but only for a second: That map really matches the sepia color scheme in a major way.
Done.

Prasad,
The dark areas seems to correspond to East godavari & Guntur districts. Peddapuram and Chilakaluripeta are famous long before first case of AIDS case was ever discovered. Knowledge and use of condoms is still far from 100% among educated youth. The dark areas will remain as long as condom usage among commercial sex workers is low.

I'm sorry to hijack, but only for a second: That map really matches the sepia color scheme in a major way.

We launched a hostile takeover of the NEJM 2 quarters ago, but we're trying to keep it on the down lo.

:)

The dark areas seems to correspond to East godavari & Guntur districts. Peddapuram and Chilakaluripeta are famous long before first case of AIDS case was ever discovered

Yes, you are correct about their infamy. However, I didnt realize that they are still as infamous even today. About the usage of condoms, I am aware of youngsters who are bullied by their elders (who think in lines of Catholics) into not using any protection. I once overheard a mom telling her daughter not to use protection, because it might affect the fertility of her eggs. Needless to say (and to much delight of elders), this chica was pregnant within 3 months.

Tells me that, emotional blackmail and elderly bullying tactics are much more potent than education after all.

4,6,7: Snort.

I think one way of promoting condoms is highlighting it as a good health tool even for married, healthy, monogamous couples. It helps protect both parties from UTIs and fungal infections that are STDs but also not just STDs--i.e. a faithful person get get a UTI non-sexually and then pass it on to their partner. I read an article once in which a porn producer said that as a matter of principle, he never allowed a male member on screen without a very prominent and visible condom---none of this translucent, "barely-there" business. If condoms were marketed as a necessary and fashionable accesory for married couples, it would help ease the stigma for everyone else.

I have close friends from those areas and they are as infamous as ever. What I found interesting was that non-english-medium swaathi reading non-hep crowd were more aware and open to contraception & condoms than some of us city folks. Many people still think promoting condoms as encouraging promiscuity.

I had been hoping somebody would comment on what I thought was the most shocking part of this article - the 37% spousal abuse rate. It's in their tables, and I can't see where it comes from. I might just need to write another post on just those numbers alone.

In this context, abuse or not, it is just culturally icky to ask your partner to use condom during marriage. It is not like the rest of 63% non-abusers are using condoms.
What i find annoying is that all reports about AIDS in India is based on data collected in these four states. Till we have data from UP & Bihar, all those reports with, it is not spreading/we have it under control/our measures are working/our culture has protected us/ line need to be taken with a huge grain of salt. These states have huge migrant labor population who sometimes stay away for home for years. And they don't practise safe sex measures when they come back home.

I count 8 states, but you're right, it's not useful unless you're talking about the more populous northern states.

As one expert said:

… “marriage is a must” in India, but protecting married women from infection “is a major problem. It is not socially appropriate for a wife to discuss using condoms with her husband. She is not able to negotiate safe sex.

How true does this ring with the experiences of people participating on this blog? Any insight into your parents', grandparents', aunts', uncles's marriages? Is this statement really true?

I often hear how Indian woman are the "heads" of their households in India. If this is the case, such an attitude would be very incongruant.